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Jingle Bell Rock
| Format = 7-inch | Recorded = October 1957 | Genre = Christmas, rockabilly, country, pop | Length = | Label = Decca 9-30513 | Writer = Joe Beal Jim Boothe | Producer = | Chronology = Bobby Helms singles | Last single = "My Special Angel" (1957) | This single = "Jingle Bell Rock" (1957) | Next single = "Just a Little Lonesome" (1958) }} "Jingle Bell Rock" is an American popular Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms in 1957 (after it was recorded in October 1957). It has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas season since then. "Jingle Bell Rock" was composed by Joseph Carleton Beal (1900–1967) and James Ross Boothe (1917–1976). Beal was a Massachusetts-born public relations professional and longtime resident of South Ocean Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Boothe was an American writer in the advertising business.Joseph Carleton Beal, in: Ancestry.com. Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI) on-line. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009.Joseph Mills Carleton Beal, in: Ancestry.com. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918 on-line. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.Ancestry.com. Social Security Death Index on-line. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009.Dale V. Nobbman, Christmas Music Companion Fact Book, Hal Leonard Corporation, 2000, p. 101. .U.S. Census, 1910, State of Massachusetts, County of Norfolk, enumeration district 1083, p. 23-A, family 578."Historical Sacrilege Issue", The Evening Standard (Uniontown, Pennsylvania), 3 October 1963, p. 14. Helms recordings "Jingle Bell Rock" has been performed by many, but Helms' version is the best known. The song's title and some of its lyrics are an extension of the old Christmas standard, "Jingle Bells". It makes brief references to other popular songs of the 1950s, such as "Rock Around the Clock", and mentions going to a "Jingle hop". An electric guitar played by Hank Garland can be heard playing the first notes of the chorus of "Jingle Bells". Backup singers were the Anita Kerr Quartet.https://sonichits.com/artist/Bobby_Helms_%26_The_Anita_Kerr_Singers Helms' original version, on Decca 9-30513 from October 1957, was re-recorded by him on Kapp K-719 in 1965, and yet again in 1967 on Little Darlin' LD-0038. In 1970, Helms recorded an entire album titled Jingle Bell Rock on Certron C-7013, releasing the title track on Certron C-10021, with a picture sleeve. In yet another re-recording, Helms released a version on Ashley AS-4200 (year unknown). In 1983, Helms released his last recording of "Jingle Bell Rock" on Black Rose 82713. Chart and sales performance Helms' original version charted at No. 13 on Billboard's Most Played C&W by Jockeys chart, a predecessor to the Hot Country Songs chart. It also crossed to the pop charts, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart, and at No. 11 on Cashbox magazine's Top 60 on the week ending January 11, 1958. After the song was featured on the soundtrack album to the 1996 film Jingle All the Way, the original Bobby Helms version returned to the Billboard country singles charts in late 1996 and early 1997, reaching a peak of No. 60. The Helms version entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart on the week ending December 24, 2016, eventually reaching a peak of No. 29 two weeks later. As of November 25, 2016, total sales of the digital track of the original 1957 Helms recording stand at 780,000 downloads according to Nielsen SoundScan, placing it ninth on the list of all-time best-selling Christmas/holiday digital singles in SoundScan history. In popular culture The song is featured in the opening of Lethal Weapon (1987). In Mean Girls (2004), Cady, Regina. Gretchen and Karen dance to it as part of their Christmas pageant. Bobby Helms George Strait Aaron Tippin Rascal Flatts Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert Other notable recordings A notable cover version of the song was recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets in 1968 for United Artists records. Intended for a seasonal single release, it was not released and it was considered lost for nearly 30 years until it was finally issued in the mid-1990s. Brenda Lee released a version of "Jingle Bell Rock" which made the ''Billboard'' Christmas singles chart in both 1964 and 1967. In 2013, American comedian KopShtick did a parody version entitled "Chanuka Rock". Other artists to have covered the song include: *1959: Max Bygraves (non-album single) *1961: Chet Atkins on the album Christmas with Chet Atkins *1961: Chubby Checker with Bobby Rydell on the album Bobby Rydell/Chubby Checker *1961: Eddy Arnold on the album Christmas with Eddy Arnold *1962: Bobby Vee on the album Merry Christmas from Bobby Vee *1963: The Platters on the album Christmas with the Platters *1968: Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass Christmas Album *1969: Johnny Mathis on the album Give Me Your Love for Christmas *1970: Bobby Sherman on the album Christmas Album *1971: Lynn Anderson on the album The Christmas Album *1983: Hall & Oates (non-album single) and peaked at number 30 on the Hot 100 Recurrents chart in 2005, it also reached number 6 on the Billboard's Holiday Airplay chart on December 13, 2008 and number 24 on the Hot Holiday Songs chart on December 10, 2011. Billboard|website=www.billboard.com|language=en|access-date=2017-02-26}} Billboard|website=www.billboard.com|language=en|access-date=2017-02-26}} *1992: Neil Diamond on the album The Christmas Album *1992: Wayne Newton on the album A Merry Little Christmas *1995: Dion on the album Rock 'n Roll Christmas *1999: Amy Grant on the album A Christmas to Remember *1999: George Strait on the album Merry Christmas Wherever You Are *1999: Gina Jeffreys on her album Christmas Wish *1999: Point of Grace on the album A Christmas Story *2000: Billy Gilman on the album Classic Christmas *2002: Aaron Tippin on the album December to Remember *2002: Hilary Duff on the album Santa Claus Lane *2004: Aly & AJ on the album Disneymania Presents: Wow! Christmas *2005: The Brian Setzer Orchestra on the album Dig That Crazy Christmas *2006: Billy Idol on the album Happy Holidays: A Very Special Christmas Album *2006: Kenny G on the album The Greatest Holiday Classics *2008: Julianne Hough on the album Sounds of the Season: The Julianne Hough Holiday Collection *2008: Rascal Flatts on the album Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 (bonus track) *2008: Thousand Foot Krutch on the album X Christmas *2009: Mitchel Musso on the album A Very Special Christmas 7 *2010: Newsboys on the album Christmas! A Newsboys Holiday *2011: Deana Martin on her album White Christmas released by Big Fish Records *2011: Michael Bublé on the album Christmas *2012: Robin Lynn on her album Snow Angel *2012: Hot Chelle Rae (non-album single) *2012: Jeremy Camp on the album Christmas: God with Us *2012: McClain Sisters on the album Disney Channel Holiday Playlist *2016: Laura Pausini, on her album Laura Xmas. References External links * Category:1957 songs Category:1964 songs Category:1967 songs Category:Bobby Helms songs Category:Bill Haley songs Category:Brenda Lee songs Category:Aaron Tippin songs Category:Amy Grant songs Category:Arcade Fire songs Category:Ashley Tisdale songs Category:Avant songs Category:Billy Gilman songs Category:Billy Idol songs Category:Bobby Rydell songs Category:Bobby Vee songs Category:Charice Pempengco songs Category:Chet Atkins songs Category:Chubby Checker songs Category:Connie Talbot songs Category:Eddie Rabbitt songs Category:Gary Lewis & the Playboys songs Category:George Strait songs Category:Geri Halliwell songs Category:Girls Aloud songs Category:Glen Campbell songs Category:Hall & Oates songs Category:Hilary Duff songs Category:Jessica Simpson songs Category:Jonas Brothers songs Category:Julianne Hough songs Category:K.d. lang songs Category:Lindsay Lohan songs Category:Kylie Minogue songs Category:Los Campesinos! songs Category:Lou Rawls songs Category:Mary Wells songs Category:Mitchel Musso songs Category:Neil Diamond songs Category:NewSong songs Category:The Platters songs Category:Randy Travis songs Category:Rascal Flatts songs Category:Taylor Horn songs Category:Teresa Brewer songs Category:Thousand Foot Krutch songs Category:Vanessa Hudgens songs Category:The Ventures songs Category:American Christmas songs Category:Max Bygraves songs Category:Decca Records singles